Halloween 2022: October 12th

Annihilation (2018)

It seems to me that A24 movies rarely make much money but they frequently make an impression critically. “Ex Machina” intrigued writers and film fans all over the world. This must have caught the attention of Paramount and Skydance Media. They hired the filmmaker to direct an adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer's brain twisting novel “Annihilation.” At some point, the studio realized they hired a weird sci-fi director to make a weird sci-fi movie. “Annihilation” would end up being split between a limited theatrical release and a Netflix debut, which doubtlessly effected its box office performance. Not that this mattered to the people who just want movies to be good, as “Annihilation” immediately became a new favorite for film nerds to discuss and dissect. 

Biologist and army vet Lena unexpectedly sees her husband, thought to be missing-in-action, return home. He's rushed to the hospital, following further strange behavior. Lena soon learns that Kane was deployed to the Shimmer, an extraterrestrial anomaly that has overtaken a coastal area after a meteor strike. Lena is recruited as part of a team to go inside the Shimmer and investigate further. What they find is a bizarre habitat where animals, people, and nature are mutating in unpredictable ways. The women fight off twisted animals as they make their way to the lighthouse at the center of the Shimmer, increasingly uncertain of how being inside the area is effecting them.

Much like “Ex Machina,” Garland blends numerous high-minded ideas into “Annihilation.” Early in the film, Natalie Portman's Lena explains the life cycle of a cell and how it expands, grows, and evolves. This predicts many of the events she will encounter inside the Shimmer, though never in obvious ways. Many of the sci-fi themes introduced through the film – how a species survives, how matter changes – are introduced in service of a cosmic horror storyline. Ultimately, the purpose of the Shimmer and what exactly it does to people – much less whatever intelligence may be behind the phenomenon – can never be fully understood. The further “Annihilation” goes on, the more cerebral its far-out horror gets, until the idea of genetic reproduction is played out as a shapeless alien entity mirroring the heroine's moves in deadly ways. 

Surprisingly, as brain-teasing as “Annihilation” strives to be,  it clearly models itself after classic films in the sci-fi/horror genre. The story of soldiers going into a weird area to fight monsters recalls “Aliens.” Fittingly, Garland doubles-down on that idea and populates the entire cast with Ripleys. Each of the women on Lena's team have faced loss or tragedy in some way. Jennifer Jason Leigh's cold Dr. Ventress is dying of cancer. Tuva Novotny's nurturing Cass has a dead daughter in her past. Tessa Thompson's brainy Josie is a former addict and Gina Rodriguez's tough Anya looses her lover throughout the story. Lena, meanwhile, is recovering from the guilt of cheating on her husband. Each of these women are facing down the abyss. The Shimmer is a metaphor for the inevitable forces of change in life, in all the tragic paths it can take. Each of the women wrestle with that literal and metaphorical change in way that reflect their personalities. Some flee from it, some are consumed by it, and the best of them find a way to move on. 

There's a lot going on inside “Annihilation's” head but that doesn't stop it from being a scary-as-hell horror movie. An attack with a massive, albino alligator is tense and frenzied. The sense of control the women have is lost when they uncover a disturbing video of what happened to the last team, a squirm-inducing bit of body horror shot in a way that rivals the best found footage film. The scariest moment in the film involves a terrifying mutant bear creature, that confronts the women in a darkened room. The creature's design is realistic but grotesque while its ability to replicate the human voice adds a level of nightmarish horror to the scenario. “Annihilation” never tops the intensity and terror of that sequence, though the swirling climax sure tries. 

That finale is made especially unnerving thanks to the movie's bizarre, pounding musical score. The vibrating noise on the soundtrack helps makes the image of Natalie Portman fighting off an otherworldly mimic more unsettling. This is proceeded by some swirling, truly unexpected color. Those are just two good examples of what an impressive visual achievement “Annihilation” is. The scientific stillness Garland utilized in “Ex Machina” is put to good use here, to make the odd images seem even more curious from the contrast. The special effects and production design are clearly top-notch. The increasingly unusual landscapes of the Shimmer are unforgettable. The way human, fungus, and the land around them seem to blend together create some highly memorable sights. 

 

I don't pretend to understand everything about “Annihilation.” It's the kind of movie that's ever so high-minded in its goal that it becomes impenetrable to the layman. (I hear the book is even harder to wrap your brain around.) Or maybe the filmmakers were just presenting some weird, freaky shit to us and thought some vague science could justify it. However you frame it, “Annihilation” is an intoxicating swirl of intense horror, mind-bending ideas, and universal themes. A strong cast, giving full-bodied emotional performances, helps ground the movie and keep it from being too clinical. The result is an impressive burst of cosmic horror. I'm glad I got to see the movie in theaters in 2018, where it can really overwhelm the viewer, but it plays just as well on the small screen. [9/10]

The Wasp Woman (1959)

Roger Corman has made a lot of movies and I'll forever associate him with his years spent at American International Pictures and New World Pictures. Corman was always an innovative businessman though. He made his first few films independently. In 1959, Roger and his brother Gene created Filmgroup, which was both a production and distribution company. The company was making its films so quickly and cheaply that Corman didn't bother copyrighting most of what they made. Ironically, this lapse in judgement means the disposable teen flicks and creature features Corman made at Filmgroup became staples of late night TV shows and the horror host circuit. This granted movies meant to run in drive-ins for a few weeks at most and give them far more longevity than ever could've been expected. “The Wasp Woman” is a typical example. 

Janice Starlin is the founder of a popular cosmetics company. Janice has always been the face of her own product. Now that the public can see she's visibly aging, the company's sales are starting to suffer. Desperate for a solution, Janice turns to controversial scientist, Dr. Zinthrop. Zinthrop has begun injecting animals with the royal jelly of queen wasps, resulting in their aging being reversed. The injections work and Starlin quickly looks twenty years younger, planning to make the procedure available commercially. Yet when the doctor gets in a car accident and can't give Janice her treatments, her withdrawal produces a ghastly side effect: She turns into a half-woman, half-wasp monster that seeks out blood. 

“The Wasp Woman” has a clever idea at its core. Such as the next year's “The Leech Woman,” it shows what a woman will do in the pursuit of vanity. Janice Starlin turns herself into a hideous bug woman in her quest to retain her youth. Yet Corman's film is a little deeper – and a little less sexist – than the Universal one. Starin is a female business owner and it's clear the men around her don't treat her very seriously. She's taken the one attribute she has in a patriarchal society – her feminine beauty – and built a career out of it. The minute she starts to naturally age, her career and everyone she employs starts to suffer. While I'm doubtful any sort of feminist subtext was intentional, the film remains more sympathetic to its Wasp Woman then you might expect. At the very least, Corman and his writers seem to agree that Starlin's motivations are understandable. She's not just being vain.

Don't mistake the analysis above for evidence that “The Wasp Woman” is more subversive than it actually is. This is a pretty typical 1950s B-movie. The script clearly doesn't take itself too seriously and fills its supporting cast with a number of ridiculous characters. Once Dr. Zinthrop suffers his head injury, he goes from a well-intentioned scientist to a mumbling invalid, which can't help but be amusing. Even before then, he has a goofy accent. Among the murdered is a portly night watchman, who is always messing with a portable radio. The catty dialogue exchanged among the secretaries and male workers of the company show that “The Wasp Woman's” gender politics are very of its time. Screenwriter Leo Gordon seemed to think that a woman's value and her beauty are closely linked and the dialogue reflects that.

Despite its many goofy characters and a frequently silly jazz score (salvaged from Corman's “Bucket of Blood”), “The Wasp Woman” still proves to be a satisfying little monster movie. Corman's direction is surprisingly stylish at times. Images of a bustling beehive are overlaid over the expected montage of the scientist working in his lab. During the climatic struggle, there's a cool shot of a chair shoved right at the camera. Most of the film is set in boxy, undistinguished boardrooms and offices. Yet Corman adds a dollop of noir-lite shadows to these area, creating a fair bit of atmosphere. The monster make-up isn't too impressive. Starlin grows bug-eyes, antenna, and hairy claws. Yet shrouding the beast in shadows, focusing on its frenzied attacks, and adding a little bit of blood makes for some entertaining sequences. 

In other words: “The Wasp Woman” is unambitious and ordinary yet perfectly satisfying within the humble goals it sets for itself. It's a little more thoughtful about the anxieties some women might have felt in 1959, while still providing the dated attitudes – which now play as camp – fans expect. As goofy as it can get, it takes itself seriously. While it's never scary, the film is damn well trying its best. Plus, it's all over in an hour. “The Wasp Woman” probably owes whatever cult following it has to its outrageous poster art. (Which, naturally, does not reflect how the monster in the movie actually looks.) Yet it's not a bad little bit of monster mayhem either. Never doubt that Roger Corman knew what he was doing. I wonder if that Jim Wynorski directed remake from the early nineties is any good? [7/10]

The Twilight Zone (1985): A Little Peace and Quiet

The second half of the first episode of the 1986 iteration of "The Twilight Zone" is also regarded among the revival's best. Wes Craven, who also directed "Shatterday," handled this segment as well. "A Little Peace and Quiet" is about Penny, a hurried housewife and mother of four rambunctious kids. Her home is constantly full of noise and even the family dog is usually barking. While digging in her garden, she discovers a mysterious box. Inside is a golden pendent of a sundial. Penny soon learns that, if she yells "Shut up!" while wearing the pendent, she can freeze time. She used this new ability to get some much needed rest and relaxation, eventually even using it to remove some petty frustrations from her life. Yet one thing she can't stop is the tide of history and geopolitical conflict...

As I mentioned in my review of "Creepshow's" "Time Out," I think we've all dreamed of scenarios like this. Penny doesn't use the ability to freeze time to get more work done, merely to escape the constant noise and stress of her life. This too is a relatable emotion and Melinda Dillion, as Penny, does a wonderful job of conveying that sense of frustration and the relief she finds afterwards. Her kids are obnoxious, her husband is an unhelpful dumb-ass, and everyone around her is either lecturing or being belligerent. Craven and the sound team did a great job of creating a constant soundscape of irritating noise, whether that be the kids screaming or the next door neighbor chainsawing a tree. You relate so much to Penny that you can't even complaint when she steps outside polite boundaries a little bit. Such as when she steals a box of cereal her kids wanted from a rival mom or pokes a cute guy's butt in as harmless a fashion as possible. Honestly pretty mild stuff compared to what some people would do with time stopping abilities.

Because the eighties "Zone" felt the need to follow the tradition of ironic endings as much as possible, Penny must still be punished for her trespasses. The episode could've done a lot better at putting the Cold War conflict in the story's background. News reports or radio chatter about splintering peace talks is fine but having peace activist come to Penny's door makes the incoming ending too easy to predict. The moral is obvious - you can't ignore the problems of the world forever - and the final ending is chilling. (And nicely supported by the decision to have the end credits play out in complete silence.) But I don't think Penny deserved that. She's just an overworked woman in need of a vacation and maybe a divorce. Either way, the impact of that last scene, Dillion's performance, and some of Craven's trademark oddball humor is enough to make this an easy-to-recommend episode. [7/10]

The Munsters: Herman the Rookie / Country Club Munsters

After getting into wrestling and basketball, Herman becomes a baseball star in “Herman the Rookie.” While out playing ball with Eddie, Herman bats one eight full blocks away. It bops a recruiter on the head, who immediately tracks Herman down and gets him on a professional team. The minute Herman gets on the field, his tremendous strength and goofy behavior immediately becomes a problem. “Country Club Munsters” has the family winning acceptance to an exclusive country club via a television contest. The other members are admittedly put-off by the Munsters’ eccentric manners but it takes Herman longer to accept. 

“Herman the Rookie” starts out a bit slow. The scenes of Leo Durocher – apparently a real life figure in baseball history – arriving at 1313 Mockingbird Lane and being shocked by what he sees is awfully old hat for this show. Once Herman joins the team, things escalate in a nicely ridiculous fashion. We’re welcomed to a series of incredibly broad sight gags, of Herman reeking havoc on the baseball field. The show has gotten good at pulling off silly, fast-paced bits of physical comedy like this. The conclusion to the episode, where Herman predictably doesn’t make the team, is both funny and sweet. Al Lewis gets one of the best lines here and Lily’s phone conversation with Herman’s boss at the funeral home is another solid moment. And I do appreciate the final scene, where the writers outright dismiss the idea of Herman getting on any other sports team. 

Of course, the next episode immediately goes in on more sports jokes. Herman and Eddie spend a good bit of “Country Club Munsters” playing golf, with predictably ridiculous results. Though Herman wearing flannel Doc Martins on the green is a nice touch, as is what happens when he attempts to retrieve a ball from the hole. This one returns too often to the joke of Herman leaping in excitement or outrage and sinking through the floor. Al Lewis and Yvonne De Carlo do get some nice gags to themselves, such as Grandpa’s reaction to Herman’s golf game or Lily attempting to communicate with the other ladies at the country club. Disappointingly, there’s no actual climax though, the show ending shortly after Herman’s day golfing. I have to wonder if Adam Sandler and his “Happy Gilmore” co-conspirators saw these two episodes. Put the premise of golf shenanigans and a guy with an otherworldly long game but no short skills and you have the set-up for that movie. [Herman the Rookie: 6/10 / Country Club Munsters: 6/10]